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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26569081">Epilogue</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vex_ation/pseuds/Vex_ation'>Vex_ation</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters SPECIAL | Pokemon Adventures</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Domestic Fluff, M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:40:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,350</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26569081</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vex_ation/pseuds/Vex_ation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Silver deserves a happy ending. That much he knows. But sitting here, his husband snoring on his shoulder as the tv drones onward, Silver realizes that he already found it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gold/Silver (Pokemon Adventures)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>68</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For Hadeel</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Silver was always attentive. It was in his nature to be inquisitive— there were untold vulnerabilities in every idiosyncrasy, an advantage to every quirk. Silver had learned to scan the body for weakness, to find strength and purpose in his curiosity. But life wasn’t like that anymore. Where weaknesses used to lie, Silver had penned each and every endearing trait. Careful strategizing had been replaced with loving attention, a scrapbook of every infuriatingly beautiful thing catalogued in his brain for all eternity. Where fear once reigned, love settled in to fill in the cracks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yes— love. Love warmed Silver’s heart, love guided his hands, love filled his smile and softened his eyes. It danced on his every breath, soared in every gesture. As he laid his head in his husband’s lap, looking up at his drowsy face, he knew he wouldn’t have it any other way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was five oclock in the morning, and Silver was anything but awake, as both of them had been since last night, too exhausted and comfortable in each other’s embrace to drag themselves to bed. The starlight cast their faces in a heavenly glow. Silver traced the curves of his husband’s face with his eyes, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest beneath his stained sweatshirt. Had it not been for the sad, sad need for sleep, Silver could have watched him forever. Eventually, though, the lull of late night infomercials dragged them both to dreamland. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next thing Silver knew, it was morning. Despite how much everything change Silver woke up with the sunrise, still grappling with his old habits as he wondered whether or not he should've been trying to get back to sleep. Eventually, after a good six minutes of contemplation, he was wide awake (more or less) at 5am still on the couch. Silver’s face was in his husband’s lap as Gold’s head lay against his chest. Drool darkened Gold’s hoodie, and Silver couldn’t help but smile a little bit as his gentle snoring rang throughout the living room. Silver almost didn’t want to move lest he wake Gold up and make him cranky. Shifting slightly, he only reached out for the remote to turn off the tv. The chirping of birds outside and the sounds of springtime filtered through the window. Without the tv’s drone, everything seemed hauntingly peaceful. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He never thought he would feel this content in the morning. The mornings of his past signified a long difficult day of stealing and training and researching, the promise of empty revenge and a full stomach the only thing to drag him up with the dawn. Now, the only thoughts swirling through his head were about the wonderful breakfast in bed (or couch, perhaps) that he would be making his husband when he found the strength to peel himself from his lap. There was no more urgency, just the soothing melody of birds and snoring and the warm feeling of Gold’s thighs on his cheek. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver imagined he could melt, that he could become one with the couch and sweet smelling air. He imagined, for a moment, that he could trap this moment in amber and rest in it, comfy and calm and safe, for all time. But the sun slowly climbed up the horizon and Gold would no doubt wake up soon, so Silver couldn’t stay too much longer. Strangely enough,, Silver wasn’t scared of letting the moment pass like he used to. Unlike before, he wasn't stuck with a handle of fleeting memories, of wistful happiness and an uncertain future. Every day, he would wake up with the man he loved by his side, the warmth of his embrace never far away. He no longer had to search for his happiness, to pray and hope and wish for it-- he had finally found it and nothing could take it away. Silver peeled himself from the couch to go make breakfast. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Though the depths of the comfy couch called to him long after he had gotten up and stretched, Silver knew he had to get up eventually. There were things to do, pokemon to feed, and chores! Silver hated letting things pile up, and thus here he was, silently wracking his brain for everything he could make Gold for breakfast. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Pancakes, blueberry pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, banana pancakes… </span>
  </em>
  <span>so many options. Luckily, the only breakfast food Silver could make without burning was the most versatile of breakfast foods (besides eggs, of course, but those weren’t allowed in the house-- plus Silver hadn’t quite figured out how to cook them and keep them edible). Silver had to mull over his options carefully. The flavor profile of a good breakfast energized the client and made them eager to start the day. First impressions were vital, and oftentimes it was breakfast that set the tone of the entire morning. When Silver was debating his options, he opened the fridge to find the milk. A carton of blueberries tumbled out, Silver ducking down to catch it before the plastic carton  could smash against the ground and burst open.As he stared at the carton, he realized the universe had picked his breakfast for him, and thus Silver began to make blueberry pancakes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Evidently, the smell of pancakes was an easy way to rouse Gold from even the deepest slumber. Silver was flipping the last of the stack, eyeing Weavile as she snuck licks from the maple syrup container, when he felt a head on his shoulder and a hug from behind. This sort of thing used to make him jump, but not anymore. There weren’t any surprises here, just dark bang scratching his neck and strong arms wrapping around his middle. He knew exactly who this was, so he didn’t feel any fear. Instead, he let himself lean backwards a bit, feeling Gold’s warm fingers slip under his shirt and rub circles on his stomach. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Morning, love,” he whispered, his voice still wavering from grogginess. Silver didn’t turn his attention from the pancakes, sliding the last golden brown breakfast miracle onto the top of the stack. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wassat for?” Gold mumbled as Silver snatched the syrup back from Weavile. He drizzled the syrup over the stack as the smell wafted around the room, making Gold’s stomach growl. As he flicked the container upwards with a flourish, Silver sidestepped to let Gold stumble forward. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They’re for you,” he explained as he watched Gold’s eyes glow with delight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Awww, you do love me!” Gold exclaimed as he planted a kiss on his husband’s cheek. Silver smiled, cupping his cheek with his hand as he grabbed a jar of overnight oats from the fridge and sat down at the table across from Gold. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two of them ate in relative silence, Silver too enamored with watching Gold viciously scarf down the hot pancakes to make any conversation. Maybe it was the smell or the noise or just the fact that it was nearing 7am, but Silver could hear the faint sound of “the baby room” waking up for the day. The slight shuffle had turned into a chorus of chirps and wails by the time Gold finished his pancakes. Silver stayed at the table as Gold, still choking the last of them down, leapt from his chair to quiet the babies. As expected, he had abandoned his plate, leaving Silver to wash the dishes as the background crying faded into silence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How are they doing?” Silver asked over his shoulder. Gold came back into the kitchen with a Magby bundled in his arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Everyone is doing great, actually,” he replied, looking more than a little proud of himself. Silver reached out to stroke the Magby’s head, enamored with the way the fur felt so warm beneath his fingertips. It was almost as though he were musing an electric blanket. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you wanna hold her?” Gold laughed. Even though the offer had been made to Silver half a dozen times, he still found himself taken aback. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A- are you sure?” he asked, staring at the Magby as though he might break her in his arms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Course,” Gold replied, unloading the bundle of warm fur into Silver’s arms. Silver smiled as the Magby turned to stare up at him with wide, beady eyes. He never would’ve gotten the chance to be anywhere near a baby Pokemon in the past, and yet it seemed just about every morning he ended up on the couch watching Proteam Omega reruns with a few on his lap. No reason this day had to be different. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By the time Gold finished herding the babies from their sleep room to the living room, Silver had already unwrapped the Magby, letting it burrow down in the blankets he had nestled in his lap as he fiddled with the remote. The familiar theme song filled the air, making Gold fight the urge to groan. He had to admit-- he hated this show. There was nothing cool about it, nothing funny about it, nothing particularly inspiring or badass or even noteworthy. It was a run-of-the-mill mecha anime with subpar animation and a downright atrocious plot-- but it made Silver happy, and thus morning reruns became a part of the routine. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gold escaped into the baby room while Silver corralled most of the babies onto the couch. Perhaps it was telling or perhaps the babies simply had impeccable taste, but all of them seemed to be as enamored with the anime as he was. There was something magical about the simple plotlines, the adorable puppets, and the bright, blocky colors. The show was made for children, that was for sure, but there was a certain air about the show that made it so… Silver wasn’t sure how to describe it, but there was something especially magical about it. It made Silver feel like the rest of the world didn’t matter, that for a moment every enemy came charging with their nefarious intentions emblazoned on their chests, that the power of friendship and colorful puppetry could save the world, and nothing was more complicated than that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In truth, everything was more complicated than that. There wasn’t much that was as simple as a children’s show, honestly. Everything had its problems, everyone had their faults, and monsters didn’t wear fangs or claws or big suspicious Rs (well… maybe some did). No one was a hero or villain, not truly: most were somewhere in the middle, cloaked in grey, elements of good and evil swirling in them like a big storm. For too long that was everything had to grapple with, forging along in a dark sea with no hope of light at the end of it. It was endless, scary, and… warm? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver broke out of his thoughts, glancing up at the warmth on top of his head. Golden eyes looked down at him and Silver couldn’t help but smile. Of course it was him. Silver reached up to muse Gold’s hair, refusing to fight the smile spreading across his face. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sit with me,” he cooed. “It’s Sunday.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gold opened his mouth to protest, glancing around at the mess-- which Silver and Gold had mostly cleaned-- or the baby pokemon-- which were all cuddled up with Silver on the couch. </span>
</p>
<p><span>“You took care of everything, didn’t you?”</span><span><br/>
</span> <span>“I said it’s Sunday,” Silver teased. “It’s the end of the weekend-- that means it’s time for us to relax.”</span></p>
<p>
  <span>“You make a very good point,” Gold said. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>With such an infallible argument, who am I to disagree</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Silver snorted with laughter at Gold’s ‘lawyer voice’-- what had once started as a terrible Crystal impression had gained some qualities of Professor Oak until eventually morphing into something else entirely, a strange androgynous caricature of serious people everywhere. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Silver nodded, clearing a space for Gold to climb onto the couch. The babies squeaked in surprise, Gold quietly shushing them as he snuggled next to Silver. Either the babies didn’t mind as much as they thought or they simply enjoyed Gold’s company as much as Silver, because the excitement quickly wore down as Gold sunk into the couch. The babies snuggled up to him in turn as he rested his head on Silver’s shoulder and tried to tune out the sounds of mecha anime from the tv. He could feel the beats of the plot through Silver, the way his shoulders tensed or his breath caught in his throat betraying his investment in the series. It was kind of fun, in a way, to literally experience someone’s excitement through their every move. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Whether Gold realized it or not, Silver knew this. He felt the way Gold leaned, how tight he held him, how he snorted or gasped a little as Silver reacted to the show. Gold was, as much as he tried to ignore it, interested in Proteam Omega in his own way. For Silver, that was enough. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The two of them sat in relative silence as they watched tv. They had no responsibilities, no looming deadlines or obligation to the cruel world outside. For now, it was only them, their love, and the baby pokemon they raised together. Silver could only feel a warm weight on his side. He imagined for a moment that they were melded together, one with the couch and the squeals of baby pokemon, one with the clash of robots on tv and the sunlight that cast its golden glow on their faces. They were together, and in that moment, there was nothing else that mattered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was here in the silence that Silver found his home-- in his husband, in their life together, in everything they shared. Silver found love in Gold’s smile, a home in his arms. He found peace, happiness… a family. Gold was laughter, comfort, and heart-pounding frustration. He was lips to kiss, hands to catch, and a shoulder to cry on. Gold was it all, he was everything… </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> everything. As Silver let himself fall back into the comfort of Sunday morning, he knew, finally, completely, that he already had everything that he wanted. He had found his epilogue-- and how beautiful it was. </span>
</p>
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